Known as the “Automobile Capital,” São Bernardo do Campo is much more than factories. The city has a history dating back to the 16th century, a chapel from 1814 that still welcomes worshippers downtown, Brazil’s first theme park and historic trails in the Serra do Mar mountains. About half of its territory lies within a watershed protection area, home to the Billings Reservoir and the Riacho Grande district.
This guide covers the main attractions, with addresses, historical context and tips for planning your trip. Since opening hours and ticket prices change often, we point out where to confirm each detail before you go.
A bit of history
The city’s official age is counted from April 8, 1553, the date João Ramalho founded the Vila of Santo André da Borda do Campo and was named its alcaide. The exact location of that settlement, however, is uncertain, and no archaeological record of it is known. In 1560, Governor-General Mem de Sá ordered the settlers moved to the vicinity of the Jesuit college, which gave rise to the city of São Paulo.
In the following centuries, the region, known as Borda do Campo and crossed by the road to Santos, was occupied by farmers and cattle ranchers and by lands of the Benedictine monks, whose São Bernardo farm gave the place its name. Along the old Caminho do Mar road, today Rua Marechal Deodoro, the Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Boa Viagem was built in 1814, and the Mother Church was inaugurated in 1825.
The municipality was created on March 12, 1889, by law no. 38. Raised again to municipal status by state decree-law no. 14,334 of November 30, 1944, it had as its first mayor Wallace Simonsen, a leader of the emancipation movement, from 1945 to 1947. Since a 1953 municipal law, the city’s anniversary is celebrated on August 20, Saint Bernard’s day, even though its age is still counted from 1553.
Largo da Matriz and the Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Boa Viagem
It’s the natural starting point for getting to know the city. At Largo da Matriz, on Rua Marechal Deodoro, you can still pray at the Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Boa Viagem, dating from 1814, which despite changes over time remains a historical landmark. The Mother Church is the religious heart of downtown and the stage for the patron saint’s day celebrations on August 20.
Cidade da Criança: Brazil’s first theme park
Opened on October 10, 1968, by Mayor Hygino Lima, Cidade da Criança (“Children’s City”) was born from the sets built for the “Redenção” soap opera on the now-defunct TV Excelsior. Considered the country’s first theme park, it was listed as municipal heritage in 1990. The listing covers only the area, the land and the soap opera sets, not the rides added later.
Today the park has more than 30 attractions, including the classic Submarine, plus a petting farm and the soap opera’s mini-city. The official address is Rua Tasman, 301, in Jardim do Mar, accessed from km 18B of Via Anchieta. Operating days and prices change throughout the year, so check the official site, cidadedacrianca.com.br, before you go.
Estoril Municipal Natural Park
On the shores of the Billings Reservoir, in Riacho Grande, Estoril Park was founded in 1955 and, in 2013, became São Bernardo’s first conservation unit, tasked with protecting the Atlantic Forest, wildlife and the reservoir itself. It is located at Rua Portugal, 1,100.
The park has trails, a plant nursery, a sensory garden, a picnic area, an open-air art museum and water activities such as pedal boats, stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking, plus a cable car that has previously been closed temporarily, so it’s worth confirming that it is running. The Municipal Zoo operates inside the park and also serves as a shelter for injured or seized wild animals. Barbecues are not allowed.
The park is open Wednesday to Sunday, 9 AM to 5 PM, with paid admission. In a 2023 announcement, the city said children up to 7, people over 65 and residents with a park card were exempt. Since prices and attractions change, check the park’s official page on the city website (saobernardo.sp.gov.br/estoril). Schools and groups can also book guided visits.
Caminhos do Mar and the Old Santos Road
Inside the Serra do Mar State Park, Caminhos do Mar preserves one of the oldest links between the plateau and the coast. The Calçada do Lorena, inaugurated in 1790, was the first road paved with stone between the plateau and the Santos lowlands, built by the governor of the São Paulo captaincy, Bernardo José Maria de Lorena. In 1922, for the centennial of Brazilian independence, monuments designed by architect Victor Dubugras were built along the road, including the Rancho da Maioridade, the Pouso Paranapiacaba and the Padrão do Lorena. The complex is listed by the state heritage agency, Condephaat.
The park offers three routes: the Historic route, a walk of about 8 km one way along the Old Santos Road, with lookouts over the coastal lowlands and the monuments; the Ecotourism route, along the Calçada do Lorena; and the Adventure route, to Cachoeira da Torre waterfall, in a guided group with advance booking. There is also the Voo da Serra zip line, which links São Bernardo to Cubatão, a water sports base and Café 1922, at the Pouso Paranapiacaba.
The park is open Wednesday to Sunday and on holidays, and access to the routes closes before the park does, so it’s best to arrive early. The São Bernardo gate is at km 42 of the SP-148 (Estrada Caminho do Mar), in Riacho Grande, and there is another in Cubatão, at km 50. It is privately run under a concession, and tickets and hours are on the official site, caminhosdomar.com.br.
Riacho Grande and the Billings Reservoir
According to the city, about 50% of São Bernardo’s territory lies within a watershed protection area, home to the Billings Reservoir and the Riacho Grande region, the municipality’s second district. This is where nature, water sports and adventure attractions are concentrated, from Estoril Park and Caminhos do Mar to Prainha do Riacho Grande, with its marina, nautical clubs and waterfront restaurants. To learn more about boat trips, fishing and water sports on the reservoir, see our Billings Reservoir guide.
Urban parks
- Raphael Lazzuri Park (Avenida Kennedy, 1,111, Anchieta): renovated in 2023, when it turned two decades old, it has a walking track, playground, covered arena theater, a stone cascade, a pet area and the Environmental Education Center. Open daily from 6 AM to 10 PM, it sits along one of the city’s main dining corridors.
- Chácara Silvestre Park (Avenida Wallace Simonsen, 1,800, Nova Petrópolis): at more than 86,000 m², it has playgrounds, a 900-meter trail, a bike path and a concert arena. It houses the summer mansion of Wallace Simonsen, open for visits on Sundays.
- Engenheiro Salvador Arena Park (Avenida Caminho do Mar, 2,980, Rudge Ramos): fully renovated and reopened in August 2023, it has a walking track, a lake with a fountain and artificial waterfall, and an arena theater.
The Automobile Capital
Industry is central to São Bernardo’s identity. The auto industry set up in the city in the second half of the 1940s, with companies such as Varam Motores and Brasmotor, which assembled imported vehicles shipped in parts, and it gained scale in the 1950s with the arrival of manufacturers such as Volkswagen, Willys-Overland, Mercedes-Benz and Simca. Volkswagen officially inaugurated its historic plant on Via Anchieta in 1959, and the city came to be known as the Automobile Capital.
How to get there
São Bernardo is crossed by the Anchieta and Imigrantes highways, the main access routes to the municipality. Downtown, Cidade da Criança and the urban parks are in the urban area. Estoril, Caminhos do Mar and Riacho Grande are in the Billings and Serra do Mar region, farther from downtown, so it’s worth planning your transportation in advance.
Suggested two-day itinerary
- Day 1, downtown: Largo da Matriz and the Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Boa Viagem in the morning; in the afternoon, Cidade da Criança (confirm operating days) or, on Sundays, the Chácara Silvestre mansion; in the evening, dinner along the Avenida Kennedy dining corridor and a stroll in Raphael Lazzuri Park.
- Day 2, nature (Wednesday to Sunday): Caminhos do Mar first thing in the morning, on the Historic route; then Estoril Park and Riacho Grande, keeping in mind that Estoril closes at 5 PM.
Want to combine this trip with other destinations in the ABC region? Also see our guides to Ribeirão Pires and Paranapiacaba.
Information checked against official pages of the São Bernardo do Campo city government and Caminhos do Mar Park. Hours and prices may change, so confirm before you head out.
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